[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-nothing-is-taboo":3,"chapter-nothing-is-taboo-nothing-is-taboo-chapter-378":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Nothing Is Taboo",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2310763,4514,"Chapter 378: Almost Exposed","nothing-is-taboo-chapter-378",378,"\u003Cp>In the Quhui Si’s Chengcheng Office, there really is a Xu Yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s played by Lang Xiaoba.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Xu Yuan left, he tasked Lang Xiaoba and Mao Dabin with “cleaning up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among his instructions, he told Lang Xiaoba to impersonate him—absolutely no room for Gao Wanli to detect a flaw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan had not forgotten that his own yamen still harbored Gao Wanli as a mole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Lang Xiaoba and Mao Dabin cleared the battlefield, they returned to the yamen, and Lang Xiaoba received a so-called “assignment” to go to Luocheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lang Xiaoba circled the city outskirts, then returned transformed into the likeness of Master Xu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, everything proceeded as usual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No deliberate low profile—such behavior would only invite suspicion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lang Xiaoba, impersonating his master, first reported to the Southern Office that he had been assassinated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he ordered a citywide manhunt for the assassin’s accomplices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, a strange case had arisen within Wan Yun’s jurisdiction; lacking the ability to handle it himself, he had sent a messenger to seek Master’s aid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Master was assassinated on the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lang Xiaoba also took the opportunity to solve the strange case himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lang Xiaoba’s method perfectly mimicked every move Xu Yuan made.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Wan Yun, who had been by his side throughout the entire case, detected nothing amiss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Princess Consort chose the second plan, she would surely be deceived by Lang Xiaoba.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Princess Consort then went to the River Guard camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hejian had prepared a pool of things for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The task of capturing these things had been passed down: the Hejian dumped it on the Caobang , the Caobang  dumped it on the Fishing Guild, and the Fishing Guild… naturally dumped it on the ordinary fishermen who lived along the river.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because pressure from above was intense, dozens of fishermen had capsized and drowned in the past few days, never to return to shore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruirui waited in the River Office for news from the four Sixth-Flowers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as she had waited for Xiao Wu before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dafu had wandered outside the city for two days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After eating that nest of ants, he had remained dazed and lethargic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, he suddenly woke up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, as if he had grown smarter, he returned to the city smoothly and found his way home without trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slinked back into the yamen’s back courtyard and curled up in his nest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He let out a long breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, he felt somewhat at ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he poked his head out of the nest and peered cautiously into the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Has Fan Chezi noticed I haven’t been back in a long time?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he finds out… he’ll surely scold me senseless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Xu” was not in the yamen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were ambushed in the western part of the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruirui waited for several hours; night was falling, yet no one returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But rumors had already spread through the city:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Xu had suffered a second assassination attempt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four assassins, all Sixth-Flowers!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within just a few days, Master Xu had endured two assassination attempts—he flew into a rage and burned all four to ash with a single flame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruirui went out and entered the city before the gates closed, going to the scene of the battle to inspect it herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning, she was able to leave the city and report to the Princess Consort: “It was the Inner Fire of a Dan Cultivator.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To burn four Sixth-Flowers to ash in one blast, the Inner Fire must be at least Fifth-Flow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lang Xiaoba carried Wang Shen’s heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Wang Shen returned from Riverwork Alley this time, Master Shen gave her three medicinal plasters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could use them three times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The four dead Sixth-Flowers didn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was now confirmed: the one in the Quhui Si yamen was the real Xu Yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Princess Consort set out to summon Uncle Seventeen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uncle Seventeen, no longer refusing, immediately departed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Princess Consort also sent Ruirui to summon Gao Wanli.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Wanli firmly refused: she would not go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I am a Sixth-Flow Artisan!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do you know what that level of Artisan means?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this Ming Empire, which power would dare send a craftsman of this caliber into dangerous, remote lands?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Gao Wanli was full of confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ruirui wore a faint smile and said, “This humble servant is of lowly status, merely a messenger. I cannot compel Master Gao to come—I shall return and report. My lord has always honored the virtuous; he will come himself to invite Master Gao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Wanli was furious, glaring fiercely at the smiling maid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine, I’ll go,” Gao Wanli gritted out through clenched teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruirui bowed deeply: “Master Gao, please.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, she sneered: Pretending to be so noble—still had to obey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Gao Wanli left, “Xu Yuan” returned with his men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dafu instantly felt guilty and quickly pulled his head back into his nest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As “Xu Yuan” passed by his nest, Dafu suddenly glared with wide eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shot out of his nest with a hiss and began pecking furiously at “Xu Yuan,” cackling loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lang Xiaoba hurried to grab Dafu, intending to drag him inside and explain the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, embarrassingly, he realized he couldn’t overpower the enraged Dafu!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After getting several bumps on his head, Lang Xiaoba covered his head and fled into the house—Dafu chased him in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lang Xiaoba paused, stunned: Though the process wasn’t what I expected, the outcome is the same!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lang Xiaoba quickly shut the door, reverted to his true form, and gave a thorough explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Gao Wanli had already left the yamen—otherwise, they might have been exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Princess Consort assembled her forces and headed toward Ghost Witch Mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the way, she deliberately passed through “Datianpo” village and slaughtered every single person, chicken, dog, cow, and sheep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To fulfill Rongrong’s “last wish.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the party circled Ghost Witch Mountain to Qihé Terrace Town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her subordinates hired a young guide in town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coincidentally, he was also a laborer at a newly opened inn in the town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan, perched high and hidden in the mountains, gazed across at the Princess Consort’s party—and when he saw the young guide, he felt a moment of dazed recognition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if he had returned months ago, when the Holy Maiden had driven Guang into the mountains to hunt him down…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Jing stood beside the Master and couldn’t help asking: “Master, how strong are they?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan waved his hand, signaling Tian Jing to hurry with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The old man beside the Princess Consort is a Fourth-Flow!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Jing shuddered: “Fourth-Flow?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xu Yuan remained calm: “Don’t forget, that one’s permit has been lost in Qidou Village.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without the permit, the mountain’s demons won’t recognize her as Princess Consort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’ll see only delicious, succulent flesh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But… even if we incite the mountain’s demons to attack them, killing a Fourth-Flow seems unlikely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fourth-Flow demons dwell only on Guanghuo Street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan smiled slyly: “Then we’ll have to see whether our son-in-law is up to the task.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Son-in-law? Who?” Tian Jing was baffled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forget that for now,” Xu Yuan teased, “They’ll head to Qidou Village first—we must hurry and prepare.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan swiftly moved upward toward Tongguan Cliff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Guanzi returned to the village and, with a grim face, ordered everyone to evacuate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though he was the village’s mountain guide, many resisted his order to abandon the village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Guanzi had already prepared in advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He first focused on those most strongly opposed, committing them all to memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did he gradually reveal the benefits promised by Master Xu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he mentioned, “Newborn children who pass inspection may live beyond the mountains,” everyone fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Move!” Someone took the lead, and soon the entire village agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The village was poor; the people had little to speak of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After securing their grain, iron tools, fire starters, and other essentials, the entire village followed Gao Guanzi in a long procession toward Tongguan Cliff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They left clear traces along the way, easy to follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1347,"2026-06-20T12:07:24.624Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","43ab4e5f814f20b5d9a2a0c347b52ad9bf12eccaeb00ff1befb22dec5d35ef7e","nothing-is-taboo-chapter-379","nothing-is-taboo-chapter-377",413,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fnothing-is-taboo-cover.jpg"]